Man Who Vandalized UES Sukkah Still Sought, Police Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A man who kicked and urinated on a religious structure outside an Upper East Side synagogue is still being sought weeks later, according to police, who released photos of the suspect on Tuesday.

The sukkah, a temporary structure erected for the Jewish holiday Sukkot, had been built just hours earlier on Oct. 7 on East 92nd Street and First Avenue, outside the Chabad Israel Center, according to previous reports.

Around 1 a.m. the following morning, the man walked up and kicked the sukkah, then urinated inside it, police said. He ran off only after being chased off by a Good Samaritan, ABC7 reported.

The man fled eastbound along East 92nd Street afterward, police said.

While police initially told Gothamist that they did not consider the act a bias incident since the sukkah contained no Jewish imagery, police now say they are investigating the vandalism as a possible hate crime.

Authorities released photos of the suspect this week, describing him only as a man with a light complexion.

Police asked anyone with information to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit tips online or on Twitter, @NYPDTips.